"Hey Prim, can you help me with something?"
One of the female staff members suddenly appeared beside him while he was taking orders.
Prim looked up.
"What is it?"
The girl pointed toward Luis's table.
"Can you take a close-up picture of that guy for me?"
Prim stared at her.
"...What?"
"Yes, yes, yes! Take one for me too!"
Another waitress immediately joined in.
"I'll pay you!"
"Me too!"
"Me three!"
Before Prim could even answer, another staff member had already run into the kitchen.
"Guys! Prim is taking pictures of the handsome customer!"
Prim nearly dropped the order pad in his hand.
The girls looked at him with shining eyes full of expectation.
Then, as if nothing had happened, they all scattered back to work.
Prim stood there silently.
"..."
What exactly just happened?
the restaurant doors opened two men entered One was dressed in luxury designer clothing.
The other
Prim immediately recognized him.
Drew.
The two walked directly toward Luis's table.
The man in designer clothes frowned slightly when he saw the people already seated there.
The middle man was his cousin.
The second man was one of Releam Studio's investors.
The third belonged to a prominent media family.
All familiar faces especially for drew that did research his heart was beating fast.
"I hope you didn't have to wait long."
Lucas pulled out a chair and sat beside Luis.
"You've met my cousin before, right?"
He glanced at the others.
"I told him to bring only the songwriter."
"Who knew he'd bring extra people?"
The cousin immediately looked embarrassed.
Drew's heart skipped a beat.
"There was no need to get angry."
Luis lazily swirled his drink.
"He already brought them and I wasn't bored." A grin appeared on his face."Your cousin even informed my day thinking that we are apparently business partners."
The moment those words came out, Luis almost laughed again.
The cousin hurriedly spoke.
"Brother Luis, I'm happy I could make you laugh."
Luis immediately took another sip of his drink to hide his amusement.
Lucas's lips twitched
.
Embarrassing.
Too embarrassing.
Among all hix relatives, this distant cousin was one of the most useless.
Twenty-four years old.
A playboy.
A second-generation rich kid.
No real achievements.
No real business ability.
The only reason Lucas was helping him was because his mother had specifically told him to.
And somehow this idiot had mistaken basic politeness for friendship.
Did he even know how difficult it was to get close to Luis?
Within Luis friend circles, there were five groups and each group as rank of how close they are with him.
Even Lucas himself could barely be considered part of Luis's inner circle as he was in the last group of friends the fifth and the last time boot.
Yet this distant cousin kept calling him "Brother Luis" as if they were close and the fact he is older than Luis at least have self pride.
It was painful to watch.
The only reason Luis had agreed to this meeting was because the mention of the song made by the songwriter had caught his attention.
Nothing more.
"Let's order first."
Lucas finally interrupted before his cousin embarrassed himself further.
Then he turned toward Drew.
"Aren't you going to sit down?"
Drew quickly nodded and sat.
His heart was pounding.
Only now did he realize who was sitting around the table were not in his level.
The middle man was the boss of Releam Studio.
The investor beside him was a famous music producer.
The man from the media family controlled enormous influence in the entertainment industry.
And the person they were all treating with respect...
Was Luis.
Just Luis.
A young man who looked younger than everyone present.
Yet somehow everyone at the table revolved around him
Drew swallowed hard.
For the first time, he began to understand that Luis's status might be far more terrifying than he had imagined.
Luis' eyes met Drew's.
Drew instantly froze.
Those eyes were beautiful.
Too beautiful.
Yet for some reason, it felt as if they had already seen every good and bad thing he had ever done.
He felt exposed.
Naked.
And the most terrifying part was that the person making him feel this way was younger than him.
"Let's order first. The food here is excellent," the m
Second man also the one from a Media company said before pressing the service button.
The waitress arrived almost immediately to take their order.
"Tempura, a Raspberry Rush. I finished my cocktail already, so something sweet would be nice. Also Honey Glazed Salmon, Spicy Sweet Chili Glazed Chicken Breast, and Mango Mochi."
Luis handed over his order casually.
"I'll have the same thing as him," Lucas said.
"Give me a steak, rice, some wine, dessert, and prawns," the Lucas cousin ordered.
"I'll have the same, but replace the steak with lamb chops," the second guy added.
"My usual," the first man said.
The waitress nodded before turning toward Drew.
Drew awkwardly pressed the menu button like everyone else had done.
A holographic menu appeared in front of him, displaying detailed images of every dish.
There were no prices shown.
His heart skipped a beat.
Trying not to embarrass himself, he ordered carefully.
"Spaghetti with shrimp sauce, steak, and a dessert cake."
The waitress noted everything down and left.
Luis placed his empty glass on the table.
"You seem to like that cocktail."lucas asked.
"It's not bad."Luis replied
Then he leaned back lazily.
"After this, we should go to the underground club. I already bet on a new fighter. Some annoying idiot even offered a country boxer twenty-five million zen for every victory."
Lucas shook his head.
"And that isn't even close to what he paid just to rent the boxer."
"I'm not in the mood for fighting today."
Luis stretched slightly.
"After this, I need to head home. My grandfather is hosting a party."
"Oh?"
Lucas looked surprised.
"If I'd known, I would've prepared a gift."
"Don't bother."
Luis waved him off.
"Your parents will be among the people sending gifts anyway."
A teasing smile appeared on his face.
"I would've invited you, but I've already invited a few close friends."
"If I'm the one hosting something in the future, you'll be invited."
Lucas grinned.
"Then I hold you on your word ."
Luis simply hummed before his gaze shifted toward Drew.
"So."
His amber eyes narrowed slightly.
"This is the songwriter?"
"Yes."Lucas immediately nodded."He's talented."
Then he looked toward Drew impatiently.
"What are you waiting for? Show Brother Luis your songs."
Drew hurriedly pulled out three music sheets.
Originally, he intended to hand them to Luis.
However, Lucas casually reached over and took them first.
He snapped photos of every page and immediately sent them to his assistant for verification.
Drew opened his mouth, wanting to protest.
But before he could speak, the middle guy beat him to it.
"Why aren't you thanking my cousin?"
His tone carried obvious annoyance.
"Do you even know who he is? His family owns the best talent agency in the country and several other entertainment businesses—"
"Enough."
Lucas frowned.
The table instantly quieted.
Then he turned toward Drew A smile appeared on his face It looked polite friendly even.
Yet for some reason, it felt far more dangerous than open anger.
There was amusement hidden inside his eyes.
The kind of amusement a person had when being on top .
"I ran an investigation on you."
Lucas rested his chin on one hand as he looked at Drew.
"You never attended a music school. You have no professional music background.
You worked in a very, very small office." He chuckled. "Calling it an office is already showing it respect."
Drew's face stiffened.
Lucas continued casually.
"And then suddenly you produce several high-quality music scripts?"
His smile widened.
"Hidden talent?"
Drew's confidence instantly crumbled.
His palms grew sweaty.
His heartbeat accelerated.
"It... it's wrong to investigate someone you're planning to work with," Drew said stiffly.
Lucas laughed.
"In business, you investigate your allies."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"That's normal."
Then he leaned back.
"Why don't you investigate me?"
A pause.
"Oh right."
"You can't."
His smile became mocking.
"When did the weak ever get a say in the world of the strong?"
Luis smirked lazily from the side, clearly entertained.
"Lucas, stop bullying him."
Then he looked toward the Lucas cousin the owner of the releam studio .
"Didn't your cousin run a background check on him?"
Lucas cousin immediately sat up straighter.
"Well, I did have my assistant investigate him."
He shrugged.
"I didn't really care about his music history, so I never looked into that part."
"But his personal life?"
The man snorted.
"It's a mess a womanizer Selfish An opportunist."
"And he has connections to an uncle involved in all sorts of illegal activities."
The boss smiled coldly.
"Honestly, he looked easy to control."
Drew's face turned deathly pale.
At that moment, the food arrived.
Everyone looked up.
Prim was pushing a serving cart toward the table.
Several dishes were arranged neatly on top.
He moved calmly between them, placing each plate in front of its owner with practiced precision.
His head remained lowered.
Two bottles of expensive wine were placed gently at the center of the table.
"Damn."
The first guy the investor whistled.
"What a handsome waiter my heart skipped a beat."
Lucas grinned "Want to become an actor? I can set your entire life up."
Prim simply smiled politely without replying.
Professional.
Courteous.
Perfect.
Luis' gaze lingered on him.
When Prim leaned forward to place another plate down, Luis caught a faint scent.
Milk.
Roses.
And something else.
Something strangely addictive.
His eyes narrowed as he started at the exposed neck of prim
Without realizing it, he slowly licked his lips
Meanwhile, Prim felt a strange chill crawl up the back of his neck as if someone stares want to drill holes in his neck.
He immediately looked toward Luis.
Their eyes met.
Again.
That irritation returned instantly.
What the hell is wrong with this guy?
Prim thought.
Ever since Luis arrived, his gaze had felt oddly invasive.
"Would you gentlemen like me to pour the wine?" Prim asked professionally.
Lucas glanced toward Drew.
Drew looked like he was one second away from fainting.
The color had completely drained from his face.
Lucas couldn't help laughing.
"Hmm."
He pointed at Drew.
"It seems that guy definitely needs a drink."
Prim smiled and poured wine into Drew's glass.
"Stop smiling. It's annoying," Luis said softly.
The entire table froze.
Everyone except Prim.
His smile only grew brighter.
He turned toward Luis politely.
"Would you like some wine, sir?" Prim asked.
Luis crossed his arms.
"No. I'm underage."
Then he raised an eyebrow.
"Why does your restaurant serve alcohol to minors?"
"Sorry." Prim bowed immediately. "You look mature for your age, so I mistook you for an adult."
For a second, silence filled the table.
Then Luis burst out laughing he felt amused especially as prim is trying hard to act kind but seem to hate his gut.
He picked up his Raspberry Rush and took a sip.
The bright pink drink tasted even sweeter than before.
The sharp raspberry flavor mixed perfectly with the citrus and cream, while the crushed ice kept it refreshingly cold.
For some reason, it tasted especially good right now.
Drew nearly exploded.
"Is that how you speak to customers?"
He slammed his hand on the table.
"Where's the manager? Get him here! I want him fired!"
Everyone looked at him.
Drew was panicking.
The sight of Prim standing there calmly was making him lose his mind.
Didn't Prim say he was too busy with school to work? So he quit so why is he working especially here does he know he would appear here is he trying to take credit for the song does he know how much it is worth.
This bastard had to be doing this on purpose.
Was he here for revenge?
All the warnings from his uncle had flown straight out of his head.
Prim blinked in confusion.
At the same time, his hand holding his phone moved behind the serving cart.
Another close-up picture of Luis was silently taken.
"Sorry, sir," Prim said apologetically. "I'll call the manager."
He lowered his head slightly.
"But before that, could you tell me how I offended you so I can apologize?"
His voice sounded pitiful.
His expression looked wronged.
Anyone who saw him would instinctively feel bad for him
.
"Enough."
The second investor frowned at Drew.
"Stop embarrassing us."
"No!"
Drew pointed at Prim.
"This guy needs to be fired!"
Luis lazily cut into his salmon.
"Why are you so afraid of his face?"
He took a bite.
"Did you steal from him?"
Another bite.
"Or did he steal from you?"
Drew instantly lost all color.
His lips trembled.
He sat back down weakly.
Meanwhile, Prim politely excused himself and pushed the empty trolley away.
The moment he disappeared, Lucas looked toward Drew.
"So."
His fingers tapped the table.
"You know him?"
Drew swallowed.
Then he lied.
"The songs belong to my friend."
"My friend gave me those scripts before he died."
He lowered his head dramatically.
"And that guy..."
Drew pointed in the direction Prim had left.
"He was the reason my friend died."
Luis immediately covered his mouth.
His shoulders shook.
He was trying extremely hard not to laugh.
Lucas covered his eyes.
Is there seriously an idiot written across my forehead?
At this point, even he had figured it out.
The songs obviously belonged to Prim.
In fact, he was becoming more determined to recruit him.
The first investor leaned forward.
"If the original songwriter is dead, can you still get more songs?"
"And why didn't you mention this before?" Lucas cousin said as he frown.
"Y-Yes."
Drew nodded quickly.
"I still have more songs You don't have to worry."
Luis almost laughed again.
More songs?
At this point, Drew was practically announcing that he planned to continue stealing.
"Then good luck with that," Luis said.
He raised his glass casually.
"Cheers."
Then he finished the last of his drink and stood up.m call the waitress
"And pack the remaining food I didn't eat."
The waitress nodded immediately.
The Quinn family had a strict rule against wasting food
.
While the staff prepared the takeaway, Luis walked toward the front counter.
Behind the counter, Prim appeared to be focused on his phone.
In reality, he had just finished sending every single photo of Luis to his coworkers.
The moment Luis approached, Prim calmly locked his screen and put the phone away.
Luis paid only for his own meal.
Naturally.
Then he picked up the takeaway bag with one hand.
His drink remained in the other.
As he turned to leave, he glanced at Prim once more.
Prim smiled professionally.
Luis smiled back.
Neither of them said a word.
Yet somehow, it felt like the beginning of trouble.
Lucas tapped his fingers lightly against the table as he looked at the four people sitting around him.
For a moment, he felt like he was watching a competition to determine who could be the biggest fool.
The second investor's greed was practically written across his face.
His cousin was usually foolish, so that wasn't surprising.
The first investor was at least somewhat normal.
As for Drew...
Lucas had to admit he had finally met someone even more foolish than his cousin.
Everyone at this table knew Drew had no musical talent.
The story about the dead friend owning the songs was complete nonsense.
Had the idiot forgotten that Lucas had literally mentioned running a background check on him?
If his friend had really been the songwriter, there would have been records somewhere.
The fact that there were none already said everything.
Lucas placed his fork down.
"It is easy to call yourself smart."
His smile disappeared.
"It is much harder to prove it."
The atmosphere instantly cooled.
"We are already investing in you."
His gaze settled on Drew.
"And I don't play with my money."
His voice was calm.
Dangerously calm.
"If you try to fool me..."
He smiled slightly.
"I promise nobody will remember your name after I'm done with you."
Drew felt his scalp go numb.
Lucas returned to eating as if he hadn't just threatened someone's future.
His cousin and the other investors exchanged looks.
Luis had agreed to let Realm Studio singers perform at his future club.
Combined with Drew's songs, this could become a profitable arrangement.
At least, that was what they believed.
"This calls for a celebration."
Lucas's cousin laughed and poured wine into everyone's glasses
The meal continued.
Drew, however, barely heard anything.
His eyes were filled with greed.
He wasn't thinking about Lucas's warning.
He wasn't thinking about danger.
He was thinking about status.
This was the life he wanted.
Dining with powerful people.
Visiting places he couldn't normally afford.
Being treated as an equal by people above him.
And for that to happen permanently...
Prim needed to disappear.
What Drew didn't understand was that the wealthy world wasn't simple.
There were levels.
A rich person in one city could be insignificant in another.
A powerful family in one country could be nothing internationally.
Rich in your country or nation wide mean nothing in other nations